Starting device for explosive-engines.



I A. MASON,

$TARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES. APPLICATION FILED APR. 27, 1910.

5 Patented June 20, 1911.

Ill

an'rntun e'somor PIKE, NEW roan, essionon or ONE-HALF r0 JOHN A. LEvIs AND clan-EIGHTH ro HOWARD vr. SHANNON, BorHpF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

STARTING DEVICE FDR EXPLOSIVE-ENGTNES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented June 20, -1911 Application filed April 27, 1910. Serial No. 558,038.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it. known that 1, Pike, in the county State of New York, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Starting Devices for Explosive-Engines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full Afi'rHunTlAsoN, of

, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying draw-.-

as possible from injury due" to back firing in the cylinders as manifested by temporary reversai of the engine due to premature explosion of the charge. 5

The invention contemplates the use of a starting crank having the usual general .characteristics but so constructed that im- 'mediately the engine reverses from the above noted causes the crank will be automaticaliy disconnected and prevented from kicking and thereby injuring the operator.

The improvements are further directed toward producing strength and efiiciency in the device combined with simplicity in the matter of construction.

To these and other ends the invention consists incertain improvements and combinations of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features be ing pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of a starting mechanism constructed in accordance with and illustrating one em; bodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a. transverse detail section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a detail section taken through the axis of movement longitudinallyof the crank arm; Fig. 4 is a section taken substantially on the line H of Fig. 3; Fig. '5 is a sect-ion taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 3'; Fig. 6 is an elevation of the inner face of the .cap piece carrying the centering means, and Fig. 7 is a top plan view.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several figures-indicate the same parts. Some engines are started by applying-the starting device ,to the projecting end of the of Wyoming, in thecap 17 and on crank shaft itself, While others have intermediate gearing or equivalent mechanism through which the starting motion is communicated. In either instance the result is substantially the same and I will therefore, for convenience herein, refer to this starting shaft merely as the engine shaft. The end portion of such a shaft is indicated in the drawings by the numeral 1 and shown to be of a tubular structure to receive the barrel '2 of the starting mechanism. The tip of the shaft is provided with teeth 3 cooperating with'corresponding teeth. 4= on a collar 5 fixed tothe barrel 2, the teeth having inclined backs so that they lock to turn the shaft in one direction but throw themselves out of engagement when the shaft runs aheadof the starting device in the same direction, as usu-al,,'such a coupling as is constitutedby the parts 3 and 5 being well known inthe art. Turning loosely on the barrel 2 is a sleeve (ithat is held in placebetween the fixed collar 5 and a shoulder 7 near the end of the barrel. ject beyond the end of the barrel to constitute a casing or housing Sand journaled transversely therein at the diametrically opposite points 9' and 10 is the preferably reduced end 11 of a radially extending crank arm 12; the said arm being secured in its bearings by a suitable retaining part 13.

On the end face of the barrel 2 is dis posed a clutch element formed in the present instance by a series of annular teeth 14: 90. on an enlargement 15 which incidentally provides the shoulder 7, before referred to. The reduced end 11 of the crank arm ex tends in proximity to this clutch elements;

and carries a second clutch etenient 16 in the present formof an ofi'set projection 01''- tooth which swings with the rotary move- 'ment of the crank arm 12 into and out of cooperation with the teeth forming the clutipbh element 14 that turns with the engine 101 sha d The end of'the sleeve 6, or at least the housing 8, is closed by a suitably secured theinner face thereof is mounted a leaf spring 18 (Fig. 5) having a centering project-ion 19 that cooperates with the recess 20 on the portion 11 on the crank arm.and tends to hold the latter in a position' in which its clutch-.16 cooperates with the clutch element 14, while an abutment 21;

This sleeve is extended to pro- 80 preferably formed on the cap, has a position in which it cooperates with an abutment 21 on the crank arm (Fig. 4) to. limit the disengaging movement of the clutch element 16 so that it, and the arm on which it is carried,is limited in its rotary movement about the axis of the arm to substantially a quarter revolution. 1

The crank arm 12 is fitted with a suitable handle portion 22 that normally projects parallel with the engine shaft 1 and barrel 2 in which position the clutch elements 14 and 16 are in cooperative position, but when the handle portion is turned on the axis of the crank arm as a center so that it has an angular relation to the engine shaft and the axis of rotation thereof, the clutch member 16 swings out of engagement with themember 14 against the tension of the spring 18.

With these movements in mind and assuming that the engine turns to the right, in the direction of-the'arrow in Fig. 1, and that the movement of the crank arm 12 on its own axis is in the direction of the arrow in the same figure, it will be seen that in turning the crank to the right with the handle portion 22 in its normal position, the clutches 14 and 16 will be in engagement and the engine shaft 1 will be turned also. Of course, the engagement. of these clutches under the exertion of the operator will have a tendency to rotate the crank 12 on its own axis, but as the leverage exerted by the clutch 16 is relativelysmall compared with the leverage in favor of the operator by reason of the length of the handle portion 22.

he has no difficulty in holding the clutches in engagement by a rigid grip on the handle assisted somewhat by the spring 18. However, should the engine kick back and the shaft begin torevolve to the left, or in the opposite'direction, the resistance to the 'oper ator will be too great to be overcome by him, the clutch 16 will be thrown out of engagement by the advancing tooth of the clutch 14 having the power of the engine behind it, thus rotating the crank arm 12 and the handle portion 22 will be thrown "to theleft to an angular position,.shown in dotted lines i'IrFig. 7 The operator will unconsciously retain his hold on the handle portion long enough to prevent a possible temporary swing of the crank arm as the clutches are leaving each other and the sleeve 6, carrying the crank arm, will rotate idly on the barrel 2, which is still locked to' the engine shaft by the engagement of the teeth 3 and 4. Should the cranking, on

the other hand, be successful, the engine shaft 1 will, of ,course, run ahead of the starting device, including the collar 5, and the teeth 3 and4 will automatically disengage themselves as usual. v

I claim as my invention:

1. In a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch member adapted to turn with the engine shaft, of a crank arm adapted to extend radially of the shaft and mounted to swing loosely on the latter, a handle portion on the crank arm having a normal position substantially parallel with the shaft and larly with relation thereto and a second clutch member rotatable with the crank arm about the axis of the shaft, and cooperating normally with the first, the handle portion and one of the clutch members being operatively connected so that the latter moves out of coperation with the other clutch member when the handle portion is turned angularly with respect to the shaft;

2. In a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch member adapted to turn with the engine shaft,

of a crank arm adapted to extend radially movable anguof the shaft and mounted to turn loosely on the latter, a handle portion on the crank arm having a normal position substantially parallel with the shaft and movable angularly with relation thereto, a second clutch member rotatablewith the crank ari'n about the axis of the shaft and normally cooperating with the first, .the handle portion and one of the clutch members being 'operatively connected so that the latter moves out of cooperation with the other clutch member when the handle portion is turned angularly with respect to the shaft, and a spring actuated device for normally holding the handle portion parallel with the shaft.

3. In a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch member adapted to turn with the engine shaft, ofa crank arm adapted to extend radially of the shaft and mounted to turn loosely on the latter, and having a rotary movement on its own axis, a second clutch member'rotatable with the crank arm about the axis of the shaft and operatively connected with said' arm to move into and out of cooperation with the first when the arm rotates on its own axis and a handle portion on the crank arm arranged to extend substantially parallel with the engine shaft when the, clutches are engaged and at an angle thereto when they are free of each other.

4. .In-a starting; mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch member arranged to turn with the engine-shaft, of a crank arm extending'ra'dially of the shaft adapted to..turn loosely-thereon, and having a rotary. movement on its own axis, a second rigid clutch element on-the arm arranged to swing into and out-of .coEipera-- tion with the first as the armis rotated on its ownaxis, and a handle portion on the arm. arrangedto extend substantially parjournaled transversely in the sleeve to rotate 5. In'a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch member arranged toturn with the engine shaft, of a sleeve arranged to turn independently of the shaft about the same axis, a crank arm on its own axis, a second clutch member within the sleeve adapted to turn therewith .and operatively connected with the arm to 'move into and out of cooperation with the first mentioned clutch member with the rota- .tion of the arm on its own axis, and a handle portion on the crank arm arranged to extend substantially parallel with the engine shaft when the clutches are engaged and at an angle thereto when they are free of each other.

6. In a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch mem-- ber arranged to turn with the engine shaft, of a sleeve arranged to turn independently of the shaft about the same axis, a crank arm journaled transversely in the sleeve to rotate on its own axis, and havinga second clutchelement formed thereon within the sleeve to swing into and out of coiiperatlon with the first mentioned clutch member with the rotation of the arm on its own axis,

and a handle portion on the crank arm arranged to extend substantially parallel wlth the engine shaft when the clutches are en-' gaged and at an angle thereto when they are free of each other.

7. In a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch member arranged to turn with the engine shaft, of a sleeve arranged to turn independently of the shaft about the-same axis, a crank arm journaled transversely in the sleeve to rotate on its own axis, a second clutch member within the sleeve adapted to turn therewith and operatively connected with the arm to turn into and out of cooperation with the first mentioned clutch member with the rotation of the arm on its own axis, a cap clutches are engaged and at an angle thereto when they are free of each other.

8. In a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a clutch member-adapted to turn with the engine-shaft, of a crank arm adapted to extend radially of the shaft and mounted to turn loosely on the latter and having a rotary movement on its own axis and .a second clutch member rotatable with the crank arm about the axis of the shaft and operatively connected with said arm to move into and out of cooperation with the first clutch member with the rotation of the arm on its own axis.

9. 'In a starting mechanism for explosive engines, the combination with a coupling adapted to be connected with the engine shaft to turn'therewith and having a clutch member on its outer end,of a sleeve arranged to freely rotate on the coupling inclosing the clutch member and: projecting beyond versely through and journaled in the projecting portion of the sleeve to rotate on its own axis, a second clutch element therethe same, a crank arm extending transon within the sleeve movable into and out i of cooperation. with the first. mentioned clutch element as the armis rotated on its own. axis and a handle portion on the arm arranged to extend substantially parallel with the engine shaft when the clutches are engaged and at an angle thereto when they are free of each other.

I ARTHUR MASON.

Witnesses:

LEON J. ARMBRUSTER, F. H. LYON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

the record of "assignments in this ofiice;

case in the Patent Ofhce.

[emit] follows: In the grant and in the heading to It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent lilo. 995,547, granted June 20, 1911, upon the application" of Arthur Mason, of Pike, New York, for an improvement in. 7 an error appears requiring cor ection'as the printed-specification it is stated that saidMason assigned one-half of his right to John A Levis and one-eighth to I-Ioward Wz Shannon, whereas it should have been stated that said Mason assigned one-fowl'tlt of his right to John A ians and one-eighth 250 Howard Shannon;

and that the said Letters. Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the as shown by Signed and sealed this 12th day of September, A. D. 191 1.

E. B. Moons, Cbmmz'caz'oner of Patents. 

